"Life's either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller

Life When You’re Six

The teeth are flying in grade one this year, but Miss S’ grill is still in tact. She’s trying hard to keep up with her friends though, one of whom lost a tooth at our house during a playdate and fainted after seeing the blood, but Miss S’ roots are firmly cemented to her gums.

Molars? Well there’s a different story. She’s getting a full set: all four at once. “I guess that’s why my mouth’s been sore,” she told me after inspecting her new chompers.

Grade One feels like it’s come in like a lion. There has been excitement over the first days of school one week, and then the lows of not wanting to go to school the next.

Last Thursday we hit rock bottom with a full-blown tear-fest that followed me into the cloakroom and stayed for 10 minutes until I had her settled at her desk with her pencil in hand and bottom lip threatening another you’re the worst mum for leaving me here flood. This was followed by lip quivering on both Friday and Monday.

There was some comfort in knowing that my friends had been there, done that, when their children were in grade one. But it still sucked. Royally.

It also made me question how many activities Miss S was in vs. sleep vs. teeth vs. anything else I could rationalize for her sudden irrational behaviour.

Of course, as I’m ready to pull the plug on everything – clearly the rational thing to do when faced with adversity. Miss S jumped out of class, bursting. “Guess what language I’m learning?”

“French? I learned how to speak French when I was in kindergarten,” Miss Q answered.

“No. Not French,” Miss S sang.

“English?” I asked.

“No.”

“Spanish?”

“No.”

“Okay, I give up. Monkey?”

“Nope. Not monkey.” Miss S grinned wider than a jack o’lantern. “Coast Salish. My teacher is Coast Salish and she’s teaching us how to speak her language.”

When I told her how cool that was and that she was learning a language that no one in her family had ever learned, even Miss Q, she flew over the moon.

That night she made Mason jar candles in Sparks. Yesterday she made Coast Salish canoes. She got to check out two books in library. Her teacher sang Happy Birthday in Coast Salish. The Terry Fox run is today.

Even though I’m still holding my breath through our morning routine, and groaning at the lice alert we just received, Miss S’s world has gone from zero to hero in a matter of hours. Now if only she can lose a tooth at school so she can march down to the office and receive the coveted tooth treasure box.

Me

I enjoy watching soccer in the rain. Most of our crafts involve glitter, finger paint or both. I am learning to eat my vegetables. And, whether in socks or bare feet, I absolutely hate stepping on Lego. Here I blog about life with my three little girls, husband and dog.